Exclusive: Ingredients group Alland & Robert prepares for the World Confectionery Conference

With the ingredients sector among core focuses for our World Confectionery Conference, Editor Neill Barston quizzes Charles Alland, CEO of Alland & Robert, ahead of the company’s significant engagement with our fifth edition of our sector gathering

The past year has clearly been a notably busy one for French -based Alland
& Robert ingredients group, as the business continues to expand its
global operations.

This includes within the confectionery industry, with the business
devising a specialism of acacia gum usage for the market, among other
applications.

Visitors to our major conference event this year will have the chance to
hear a presentation from Dr Isabelle Jaouen, its director of research and
development, who will assess the state of the sector, and its notable
ongoing role within it.  Ahead of this, the firm’s CEO, Charles Alland sets the scene on its latest activities. (You can register for this year’s World Confectionery Conference taking place in Brussels on 11 September 2025 at the Brussels Marriott Hotel, Grand Place, Belgium, via this direct link here).

Q: It has now been two years in the post since taking over from your
father as CEO, how have you found it?

A: It has been both challenging and rewarding. The challenges before us
appear at once numerous and exciting. Reducing our carbon footprint,
growing with purpose, navigating the difficulties in our supplychain and
our ever-changing world..Alland & Robert won’t rest on its laurels.
In 2024, Alland & Robert has celebrated 140 years of existence
and today, we are looking to write a fresh chapter in the story of gum
acacia.

Q: Alland & Robert will be among speakers at this year’s World
Confectionery Conference in Brussels, how important is that you engage
with such events as a business?
A:We are focusing on helping our clients to formulate their products with
solutions such as gum acacia, that answer their needs and consumers’
needs. It is important that our R&D team share their knowledge: our
expertise in natural gums is unmatched and we need to make this known.

Q: With over 140 years of history, the company certainly has a strong
heritage, how significant is it that it has remained a family owned
company?

A:  In France, 83% of businesses, including 75% of SMEs and 50% of mid-sized companies, are family owned, which underlines the importance of
this governance model in our economy. Yet, only 14% of them are taken
over by the next generation. But in the Alland family, our company
is crucially passed down from generation to generation for more than 140
years. With my sister Anne Sophie, who has become general deputy
director this year, we have a shared ambition: to develop Alland & Robert
while ensuring its sustainability as an independent French mid-sized
company with a strong international presence.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge you have faced so far on a
personal level, and in the wider industry?
A: Running a family business requires, first and foremost, aligning family
and entrepreneurial interests. Preserving the family heritage that those
who came before us worked hard to build, while ensuring the future of its economic model in a changing world, and without harming the blood ties that unite us: the equation is complex.

Q: How does your role differ from having been deputy general manager, and how hard is it to lead on strategy and create new product solutions in a fast-changing market?

A: In a family business like Alland & Robert, the challenge of remaining aligned and united in our choices is fundamental. Sometimes thee conomic context becomes tense, and certain difficult strategic shifts are necessary. As in traditional governance models, being a business leader involves makingmany decisions every day, and it can happen that we doubt the direction to take. But each of us agrees to step out of our comfort zone by taking on risks that are sometimes necessary for the survival of the company. Being two is even more essential since solitude can be difficult in the management role. Itis essential to confront our ideas with someone who will give an honest and authentic opinion.

Our luck at Alland & Robert? We can be frank, and we are neither touchy nor resentful, even when the discussions are direct or difficult. We have divided our roles and missions according to our personalities and our respective interests. And we are conducting a fundamental review to rethink our organisation and address all the company’s themes and needs.

• An extended version of this article can be seen in our special World Confectionery Conference 2025 magazine preview edition, which is packed full of exclusive content for the event.